Rotary engine.



-I. Gi OAKMAN. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLIGATION FILED 111113.11, 1907.

14 TORNE No. 374,616. I I PATENTED DBG; 24, 1907. T. o. OAKMAN.

` ROTARY mmm;f APPLICATION IiED MAR 11. 1907.

l A TTORNYS To all whom 'it may concern.' y

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.Be it known that I, TrioMAsC., OAKMAN, a citizen of the United States'residi at Philadelphia, in the county of Philade phiaand ,State of ?ennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the following is a speciication.- f

This invention relates to rotary engines of that type utilizing explosive gases as apropelling medium. rihe object ofthe invention is to provide a simple; compact and durable forni of engine havinpmeans whereby motive fluid can be Suche 'into' and compressed within ,thecasing and subsequently expelled into the explosion chamber where its explosion propels the piston within said chamber so as'to cause ex loded charge.

anew sup ly of gasto 'be sucked, into and compresse within the receiving or compressiorrcompartrrient.

' lnother .object of the invention is to` pro-L vide compression" and explosion compartments disposed in parallel planes each com'-` partment carrymg a separate piston, one lof whicl1 'actsfas a compression'device while the other serves to receive the impulse from the ith/these'and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and ycombinations ofparts wln'ch will be4 hereinafter more fully der' scribed and pointedl out in the claims'.

in the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.v

In said drawings:` Figure 1 'is a section tl 1rou`gh the explosion compartment andits 'piston and showing the .compression compartment' in elevati'oiuthe pistons in the two' compartments being illustrated o in position just priorto the ex ulsion of the compressed Y gases into the exp osion .compartment -and ack of the piston -in -said compartment;

* Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing the positions of the parts Whilethe gas is' beingdischarged into the explosion comparti ment; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the'envine, the two pistons ,being shown in. elevation; and Fig. 4 lis a 'View partly in elevation and partly in section of a inodii'iedform of the invention.

Referring tothe figures'by characters of I reference, 1 is a shaft mounted in suitable standards 2- and secured to and rotatable with this shaft is ahollow cylindrical wheel '3.

@amies an annular Hang@ @pacification of Letters Patent. Application led March l1, 1907. Serial No. 361,' 7417' rai-.estes nee. eel', 1907.

cated about the center thereof and formed within theY periphery of the wheel at oneside points are slots 5 and, 6.V The s ot 6 is f greater;v width than the 'slot Sand. receiwes a hollow blade 7 constituting a piston section and within this blade is `disposed -a coiled.

sprin'g 8 which exerts a constant 'pressure against the end of a blade 9. The other sec tion of the piston 7 lis slidably mounted within the shaft 1 and-the opening 5. Slid- -ably'r11ounted in the shaft -1 at anangle vto the plane'occupied by the piston section' 9 is another piston section 10 one end of which extends through an o ening 1T inj-tl1e pe riphery of wheel 3 whi e the other end propistonsection and containing a spring similar throu h anopening 13 and the frange 4 projects etween'the openings. 13 and 11 and .the openings 5. and 6. The pistons can be placed at any'desired angle to each other and as shown `in the drawings they are pref erably disposed at an ange of about 35. Ports 14 are formed' within theiiange a at diametrically v opposite points7 said ports being' disposed between the apertures 5 and 13,

and Gand-11.l o

Surrounding opposite portionsof the Wheel S'are casings 15 'and'l each of which is suitabl supported as by means of a standard 17 an consists of a head 1 8 bearing loosely upon inner wall 20 parallel with the head 18 and bearing against the ange 1. One of these compartments which has been indicated by the numeral 21 is, for the salie of convenience, termed a compression compartment' while the -other compartment 22 is termed an explosion com artlnent. ments lap at t eirends and alin'ing ports 23 are formed intheir inner Walls -20 where `they the vshaft 1 and having an inwardly extend'- of the flange and at dianietricall opposite l jects into a hollow blade 12 constituting a to the spring 8. This' blade -12 projects Y other and each fof these compartments has an The two compartrio lap at one end. A suitable sparking device 2-1 is located'in that end of the compartment 22 adjoining its port 23. The piston sections are adapted to work within these compartments 2l and 22 and to ride upon those portions of the casings contacting with the periphery of the wheel 3. An intake port 25 opens into that end of compartment 21 farthest removed from the port 23 and an exhaust port 26 is formed within that end of compartment 22 farthest removed from the port 23. j

\Vhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 andthe shaft 1 and wheel 3 is rotated the piston section 7 is projected into the. compartment 22 simultaneously with the exit of the piston section 9 from the opposite end of said compartment. The section 10 will trap within the compartment 22 all the gas which has been sucked thereinto by the former movement of the piston therein and as this gas can not escape from the compartment owing to the fact that the ports 23 are closed by flange 4 it is obvious that they will become compressed in front of said piston. Meanwhile, the rotating shaft 1 causes the piston section 9 to ride along the inwardly extending portion 19 of its casing 18 and finally causes it t0 project into the compartment 22 close to the sparker 24) Just as the.

piston assumes this position in compartment -22 the port 14 is brought into register vwith ports 23 and the compressed gases rush through said ports from the compression cornpartment 21 and into the explosion compartment. As the wheel continues to rotate the ports 23 will be closedand just as Ithis closing takes place the charge within |`Icompartment 22 is ignited andthe piston and its wheel propelled within said compartment. Any burned gases which may have remained in compartment'22 from the preceding explosion will be forced by the advancing piston through the exhaust 26` The compressing action of the piston 10 results in a new charge of gas being sucked into the compartment 21 from the intake 25 and this new charge is trapped by the piston section 12. The foregoing operation will then be repeated7 the two sections of one of the'pistons alternatcly operating to compress the charge while the two sections of the other piston alternately operate to receive the impact of the exploded gas. As a result of this arrangenn nt two impulses are imparted to the wheel during each revolution thereof.

tlv wheel maybe pro vided upon the shaft i for insuring the continuous operation of the device and by placing the sparker within the compartment 2l adjacent port 23 and providing a valve lfor reversing the intake and exhaust the rotation of the engine may. be reversed b v causing the compartment 2i to :tcl as an explosion chamber and the compartrncut 22 as a compression chamber. This construction is so obvious that it is not deemed necessary to show or describe the. same in detail.

It is to be understood that any desired form of valve may be provided between the two compartments 21 and 22 other than that disclosed it being merely necessary to provide means whereby the compressed charge will be expelled into the closed compartment immediately in rear of the piston therein and at predetermined intervals.

Although it has been found that a piston formed in two sections produces the best results it is to be understood that a piston of other desired form capable of being properly projected into the compartments may be used instead of thosedescribed and shown.

Although the engine has been described as utilizing an explosive mixture as a propelling medium it is to be understood that with slight modifications the same can be used as a steam ,engine without departing materially from the construction hereinbefore set forth. ln F ig. 4 lhave shown the engines designed to be propelled by steam power and-by referring to said figure it will be seen that the two compartments 27 and 28 are provided with inletports 29 and exhaust ports 30, the inlet port of eachcompartment being disposed adjacent the exhaust port ofthe other compartment. A valve 31 is located adjacent each inlet portion for controlling the admission of steam and this valve may be controlled by a overnor 32 through bellcrank levers 33, inks 34, and rods 35. The governor is designed to be driven by a bezit 36 receiving power from the` shaft ofthe engine and actuating gears 37 whereby the governor is rotated. The parts are so roportioned that when the speed of the engine diminishes the valve will be opened and `when the speed increases the valve will be closed in proportion to the increase, thereby maintaining the speed uniform. Any desired valve may be utilized such as those of the (lorliss type.

With this arrangement of parts it will be noticed that steam will be constantly directed into the two compartments from the inlet ports 29 so that the lmpact of the steam against the pistons 38 will cause the operation of the engine. It is of 'course to be understood that with this construction the two compartments, 27 and 2S do not communicate.

What is claimed is:

1. An engine, having oppositely disposed arcuate compartments spaced laterally and having lapping endsI each compartment having an inlet at one end and an outlet at its other end, a rcvoluble clement intersecting the planes occupied by said com )artments and constituting thc inner walls of the compartment, and a piston carried by said elcment and mounted to i ruvclwithin cachcoxnpartmcnt, cach piston comprising telescopic evasi@ sections and yieldable spacing means interposed therebetween.

2. In a rotary engine a revoluble member, an arcuate compartment partly surrounding y said member, and disposed to receive an explosive mixture, said member constituting one Wall ot the com artment, a piston movable with said mem er and lon itudinally of the compartment and dispose to compress and expel the mixture Within the compartment, a second op ositely disposed arcuate compartment part ysurrOunding the revoluble member and disposed to receive the expelled mixture, said member constituting one wall of said compartment, a piston movable with said member and longitudinally oi the compartment, and means tor exploding the mixture to drive the last mentioned piston and propel the revoluble member.

3. In a rotary engine the combination With a revoluble member, a compressing piston movably mounted therein and revoluble therewith, and an impact receiving piston movably mounted Within and revoluble With said member; et an arcuate compression compartment partly surrounding the revoluble member, said member constituting one Wall thereof and said compression piston being movable longitudinally oi' said coii'ipartinent, and an oppositely disposed arcuate explosion con'ipartment partly surrounding the revoluble member and disposed to receive compressed iluid l'rom the compression compartment., said impact receiving piston bcing movable longitudinally ol the compression compartment.

4. In a rotary engine the combination with a revoluble member, a valve. member integral and reveluble therewith, and compressj 40 ing` and impact receiving pistons movably mounted within and revoluble with said member at opposite sides of the valve meniber; of a fixed casing surrmmding said revoluble member and formed with oppositcly sion and explosion compartments partly surrounding opposite portions ot the i'ovoluble j member and disposed at opposite sides ol the valve member, said pistons being disposed to disposed. laterally spaced'arcuate eompresi l I i l l Work Within the respective compartments and said member constituting the inner Wall of each compartment.

5. An engine comprising a Wheel, oppositely disposed compression and explosion compartments concentric with and closed by the Wheel, said compartments having alining ports, a compression piston and an impact receiving piston movable with the wheel, and a `flange upon the wheel and movable between the compartments, said flange having a port between the pistons adapted to register with and permit communication between the alining ports.

6. An engine comprising a wheel, a stationary casing surrounding the Wheel and having a compartment extending partly around the wheel, and a piston radially movable n'ithin thc wheel and adapted to project thereon and to ride against the casing and Within the compartment, said piston consisting of telescopic sections, and resilientspreading means interposed therebetween.

7. .An engine comprising a Wheel, oppositely disposed compartments concentric with and closed bythe Wheel, each of said compartments having an inlet and an outlet, and a piston extending into' each compartment and movable radially within the Wheel, said pistons being designed to alternately project into the respective compartments.

Y 8. An engine comprising a wheel, oppositely disposed compartments concentric with and closed by the Wheel. each of said compartments haring an inlet and an outlet, and a piston projecting into each compartment and mo v able radially Within the Wheel7 said pistons being disposed to alternately project into their respective compartments and each piston consisting of telescopic sections `and spreading means interposed therebetween. l

ln testimonythat l claim the foregoing as my own, l have hereto attixed my signature in the presence ot'two witnesses.

THOMAS C. (')i-XKMAN.

Yitnessesz TERsiFon Freizeit, WM. H. Ronixsov. 

